Steve MccClure

Slovenian winter

Where is everybody?? This is Misja Pec, world class crag, one of the top five sport cliffs in the world. And yet there is no one here. OK, its 3 degrees and snowing. But the rock is dry, and not surprisingly, not sweaty!
I came here 5 years ago and swore I’d be back within months, but other things came along and the place slipped off my radar like it has for so many. Back in the mid 90’s, mention Misja Pec, or Osp to anyone worth their quickdraws and for sure they’d know what you were talking about. Now people think you have pronounced something wrongly. It was as good as I remembered, made even better being able to stay at the house of world famous Silvo Karo with his life saving log burner. Myself, Kath Schirrmacher, Dan ‘sky’ Walker and Rab ‘president’ Carrington was the duvet clad team.
Onsighting was a finger-numbing experience. Red-pointing seemed like a soft option and I was somehow conned into trying a relatively new route I knew I couldn’t do as it was too hard.
Tomas Mrazek opened Xaxid hostel, 9a+. First 20 meters are around 8c+/9a to a lower-off. Then, a mediocre rest close to the end of the first pitch and a further 8c+. Adam ondra repeated it and said it might be only hard 9a. So fairly hard really.
It seemed to suit me, except the final bulge that was reachy, but also soaking, and not only soaking, but frozen! So I went for the pressure free effort, knowing it was hopeless, though gaining hope with every meter, until the inevitable ping off backwards with sopping hands from the final move of a 45metre route! Still, a holiday tick of 8c+/9a isn’t so bad, and a reason to go back—-the great sledging!

February 17, 2010 10:25 PM

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